(the longer of two responses)
September 8, 2000
To the Editor of The Toronto Star:
Philip Marchand is to be applauded for his insightful treatment of the continuing relevance of the 20th century's first mass extermination of a people ("Novel Stirs Memories of 1915 Genocide", Aug. 7, 2000).
While Mr. Marchand properly touches upon both the explicit and implied connections between the Nazi and Turkish states' exterminationist policies, what should perhaps lend the Armenian Genocide even more urgency than the Holocaust is the fact that this crime against humanity is continuing to this day in the form of an ambitious and well-funded campaign of genocide denial by the Turkish government and its supporters.
Stanley Cohen, Professor of Criminology at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, writes:
"The nearest successful example [of 'collective denial'] in the modern era is the 80 years of official denial by successive Turkish governments of the 1915-17 genocide against the Armenians in which some 1.5 million people lost their lives. This denial has been sustained by deliberate propaganda, lying and coverups, forging documents, suppression of archives, and bribing scholars. The West, especially the United States, has colluded by not referring to the massacres in the United Nations, ignoring memorial ceremonies, and surrendering to Turkish pressure in NATO and other strategic arenas of cooperation." (Law and Social Inquiry, Winter 1995, pp. 13-14).
A recent expose revealed that Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia editors pressured contributing scholars to cast doubt on the occurrence of the Armenian Genocide because "the Turkish government had threatened to arrest local Microsoft officials and ban Microsoft products unless [the] massacres were presented as topics open to debate" (The Chronicle of Higher Education, "The Other Side of Genocide", Aug. 18, 2000). As a result of the ensuing negative coverage, Encarta was shamed into reversing its acquiescence to Turkey's near-successful attempt at genocide denial.
Finally, Mr. Marchand's lament that the Armenian Genocide "has been virtually ignored in world literature" is even more applicable to two other genocides which were effected within the same time frame, by the same perpetrator, and using the same inhuman methods as the Armenian Genocide. As part of a wider effort to eliminate its Christian minorities, the Turkish state also exterminated its Pontian-Greek and Assyrian populations.
A notable exception to the official amnesia regarding these events is Thea Halo's "Not Even My Name", a deeply moving testimonial of the Pontian genocide that Publisher's Weekly called "[a]n eloquent and powerful account", that Library Journal described as "an amazing story of survival and resilience", that Booklist hailed as "[a]n unforgettable book", and that US News and World Report selected as its Top Pick.
Perhaps it is time for the Star to review "Not Even My Name", and finally help penetrate this shroud of silence.
Sincerely,
P. D. Spyropoulos, Esq.
Executive Director
American Hellenic Media Project
PO Box 1150
New York, NY 10028-0008
ahmp@hri.org
www.ahmp.org
________________
The American Hellenic Media Project is a non-profit organization created to address inaccuracy and bias in the media and encourage independent, ethical and responsible journalism.
(the shorter of two responses)
September 8, 2000
To the Editor of The Toronto Star:
Philip Marchand is to be applauded for his insightful treatment of the 20th century's first mass extermination of a people ("Novel Stirs Memories of 1915 Genocide", Aug. 7, 2000).
While Mr. Marchand properly touches upon both the explicit and implied connections between the Nazi and Turkish states' exterminationist policies, what should perhaps lend the Armenian Genocide even more urgency than the Holocaust is the fact that this crime against humanity is continuing to this day in the form of an ambitious and well-funded campaign of genocide denial by the Turkish government and its supporters.
A recent expose revealed that Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia editors pressured contributing scholars to cast doubt on the occurrence of the Armenian Genocide because "the Turkish government had threatened to arrest local Microsoft officials and ban Microsoft products unless [the] massacres were presented as topics open to debate" (The Chronicle of Higher Education, "The Other Side of Genocide", Aug. 18, 2000).
Finally, Mr. Marchand's lament that the Armenian Genocide "has been virtually ignored in world literature" is even more applicable to two other genocides which were effected within the same time frame, by the same perpetrator, and using the same inhuman methods as the Armenian Genocide. As part of a wider effort to eliminate its Christian minorities, the Turkish state also exterminated its Pontian-Greek and Assyrian populations.
A notable exception to the official amnesia regarding these events is Thea Halo's "Not Even My Name", a deeply moving testimonial of the Pontian genocide. Perhaps it is time for the Star to review "Not Even My Name", and finally help penetrate this shroud of silence.
Sincerely,
P. D. Spyropoulos, Esq.
Executive Director
American Hellenic Media Project
PO Box 1150
New York, NY 10028-0008
ahmp@hri.org
www.ahmp.org